4 Days in the Arctic (I mean Ann Arbor, Michigan)

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a Travel Capsule post (but this is always how I travel). My TUMI is tiny so multitasking pieces are a must! Don’t travel? You can still get great ideas for making your closet do the same! When I buy something (unless it is for a special occasion) I have a rule it must be able to make at least three outfits with my current closet. #MaybeMore But back to my trip.

For this trip I headed North for days full of meetings (read COLD and suit) but I then continued on to Kentucky for Cyclocross Nationals (read WARM and play). With dual destinations, two different climates and two different objectives, I had to be fairly conservative in my packing to fit everything in. Multitasking was mandatory! Minimizing was inevitable! Amazingly, I managed to make the whole trip with only one pair of shoes (plus running shoes). #SuchACoup

There was one more wrinkle to this one shoe trip, the weather. The first part of the trip was North (way North) and I was worried about snow. The second part of the trip was South and the forecast was rain. Now that’s a tall order; cold, snow, rain and suit. Did you see Tuesday’s Shoesday post about Boots for suits? If you did then you saw a preview of these Blondo Boots. These were the ONLY pair of shoes I took for my trip. #WhoAmI

The boots are black snake but I love how they have a hint of blue. They looked as great with a suit as they did with denim (pictures below). You can also get them in solid black if snake isn’t your thing but I love how the snake ones pair perfectly with navy or black. By now you should be well aware of my love for black/navy indecisive pieces. Since I was only packing one pair of shoes, they obviously became of the focal point for everything else I packed. #StarOfTheSuitcase

What I Packed

Here is everything that was in my TUMI.

Topshop Coat (Similar in Camel Here) | Theory Suit | J.Crew Everyday Poplin Shirt (alternative here) | J. Crew Striped Turtleneck | Treasure and Bond Sweater (alternative here)

More Importantly I carried the most amazing hat and Ugg gloves to keep my head and hands warm. I could not have survived the Northern part of the trip without them.

My hands would have fallen off without these gloves – so thank you Ugg. There was almost a purchase of these gloves from Nordstrom before I realized Nordstrom Rack had the almost exact same pair for half the price. #winning These same gloves were on my hands again all last weekend while shoveling massive amounts of snow. My hands were happy and warm even if the rest of me wasn’t. #NotAColdLover

For my head, an adorable cashmere pompom hat.

My Looks

Now that you know what I packed, let’s take a look at the how I pieced everything together. For the first travel day I wanted comfort but I also didn’t want to shove the suit jacket in the suitcase (I always try and avoid this if at all possible). Here are the pieces I wore (and a quick picture from the airport – sorry strangers in the background).

Both days in Michigan required a suit, but since I was meeting with different clients each day, I opted for the same suit paired with different tops. I didn’t snag a picture the first day but I did manage to get one when the sun came out the second day!

My travel ‘home’ was really to Kentucky to watch my husband race Cyclocross Nationals. I knew I was likely going straight from the airport to the race so I wanted to be dressed casual and warm. Translation: fluffy sweater and skinnies with a leopard belt to pull the whole look together! For this picture you get a blurry, grainy bathroom selfie (with a smile). #NotAGoodPhotoWeek